Former Heat guard Tim Hardaway a Hall of Fame finalist again

Former Heat guard Tim Hardaway is a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame for the third time.

Former Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway is one of 14 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2017.

Hardaway, a finalist for the third time, played six seasons for the Heat and, along with Alonzo Mourning, led Miami to six consecutive trips to the playoffs, including the 1997 Eastern Conference finals. His is one of three Heat players to have their numbers retired by the organization joining Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal. Mourning and O’Neal are in the Hall of Fame.

Hardaway was a finalist in 2014 and 2015.

A clutch, 6-foot point guard with a killer crossover, Hardaway is the Heat’s all-time leader with 806 3-point field goals.

Heading the list of finalists are Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, Chris Webber, Sydney Moncrief, Rudy Tomjanovich and Rebbeca Lobo. In addition, Rollie Massimino, the coach at Keiser University in West Palm Beach who led Villanova to the 1985 NCAA title, and Kansas coach Bill Self also are among the finalists.

Hardaway joined the Heat in a trade deadline deal orchestrated by Pat Riley in 1996. A 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist and five-time NBA All-Star, Hardaway played 13 NBA seasons scoring a total of 15,373 points while averaging more than 20 points per game five times in his career including 20.3 in 1996-97 for Miami when he was named first team All-NBA.

Hardaway is second in Heat history with 2,867 assists and 16th in NBA history with 7,095 career assists.

Before joining the Heat, Hardaway was part of the Warriors Run TMC along with Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond. Mullin and Richmond are in the Hall and Hardaway is a favorite to join them.

All-Star Kemba Walker of the Hornets was asked this weekend who he watched and idolized.

“One of my favorites was Tim Hardaway,” he said. “Another small guard, and I just loved the way he played. There’s a lot of similarities in our game.”